Can-feeding apparatus



A ril 7, 1931. R. s. METZNER CAN FEEDING APPARATUS Filed May 23, 1928INVENTEHR A TTUQN EY Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNETEE) STATES ldATENE OFFICEROBERT B. METZNER, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, T CONTINENTAL CAN COMPANY, INC., A. CORPORATION OF NEWYORK CAN-FEEDING APPARATUS Application filed May 23,

This invention relates broadly to can-feeding apparatus, and it has forits primary ob ject to provide a simple and practical mechanism foreffecting a rapid and orderly transfer of cans from a filling machine ortable to a seaming turret whereon caps or can ends are applied to saidcans.

A further object is to provide a feed mechanism of the charactermentioned by means of which the cans to be headed are advanced to theseaming turret in relatively spaced, or timed, relation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in thefeatures of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations ofelements which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view ofthe inven tion;

Figure 2 is a cross section on line 22 Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a detail section on line 38, Fig. 1.

Referring to said drawings, 1 designates a stationary supportingstructure, preferably of circular form, by which is carried an upwardlydirected vertical spindle Q. Mounted for rotation on said spindle is agear wheel 3 which carries in fixed overlying concentric relationthereto a horiontal ly disposed can-advancing, or feed, disk 4. Providedin the upper face of said feed disk is a plurality of relatively spacedradial channels 5, the purpose of which will hereinafter be explained.

Disposed in overlying relation to the rotary feed disk 4 at a suitableelevation with re spect to said disk is a can guide composed of twoguide plates or members 6 and 7 which are shaped and positionedrelatively to provide therebetween a. can-feed channel or runway 8through which cans deposited in upright position upon said feed disk atthe entrance end of said runway are successively advanced.

The guide member 6, which possesses an approximately crescent shape, hasa depending flange 9 about its outer, or peripheral, edge, which flangeis seated upon and is 1928. Serial No. 280,033.

rigidly attached to the top of the supporting structure 1 in partiallyenclosing relation to the feed disk l. Form-ed on the inner curved edgeof said guide member 6 is a relatively narrow flange 10 which definesthe outer edge of the runway 8 and against which the cans ride in theirpassage through the latter.

The guide member 7 has on its outer end a depending flange 11 which isseated upon and attached to the top of the supporting structure 1adjacent to the peripheral edge of said top. Said member presents anirregularly curved edge which parallels the inner irregularly curvededge of the guide member 6 and thusrcomplemen'ts the latter in theformation of the runway 8 which is of substantially even widththroughout its length. The inner end portion of said mom ber 7 overliesthe upper end of the spindle 2 and the hub P of the feed disk and has adepending supporting leg 12 which rests upon said hub and which may becentrally bored for the reception of a pin or a reduced stem 13 carriedon the end of said shaft and whereby said end of said member is firmlyheld against movement.

Provided on the under side of said guide member 7 is a downwardly facingguide channel 14 of roughly elliptical or ovate form in which arereceived for travel a pair of relatively spaced anti-friction rollers 15car-' ried on the top face of each of a plurality of dogs 16. Each ofsaid dogs which are pro vided in a number corresponding to the number ofthe radial channels 5 in the feed disk l, carries on its under face ananti-friction roller 17 which is disposed for travel in one of saidchannels 5, as will presently be explained. V

The cans 18 which are to be headed or capped are successively enteredupon the feed disk a at the entrance end of the runway 8 by any suitablemeans. Vhether the cans be enter-ed in said runway at regular or atirregular intervals, the mechanism of the present invention effectsdelivery thereof through the delivery end at regularly timed intervals,or in regularly spaced relation, so that an interval of the requiredduration is provided between successively delivered cans to permit theheading or capping machine, which receives the cans from said runway, toperform its function of double seaming the end on each can, and alsosuch can to be removed frtun the end-closing position, prior to the 24re cc of the next succeeding can to said position.

The entrance end portion of the runway is disposed approximately attangent to one side of the broader end portion of the ovate channel1-1:. or to th a portion of the feed disk 4, as shown. Consequently,forward rotation o said disk acts to carry the cans entare: 1 *e' n toadvance along said runway toward its axial portion to a point at whichsaid runway possesses a clnvature substantially in the arc of circlestruck on a radius having the a of said dis; as its center. At suchpoint the cans are successively engaged by the nose portion 16 of a dog16 which is advanced into engagement therewith and which thence acts topush the engaged can in front thereof to and through the delivery end ofthe runway.

As hereinbefore indicated, the dogs 16 are carried by the feed disk at,each thereof having an antifriction roller 1. mounted for radial travelin or along a channel 5 of said disk. Said dogs also have continuousrotary travel with said disk, and in such travel the two rollers carriedon top faces thereof follow the endless ovate path constituted by thechannel 14 provided in the under face of the guide member 7. Thus, asthe radial channels 5 are advanced in the rotation of the disk l, theovate channel 14 cooperates with each thereof for eii'ecting shifting ofthe dogs therealong for properly positioning the latter in advancing, orpushing relation, to the cans received in the runway. As each dogapproaches the inner end of the tangentially disposed portion of therunway, or a point at which the ovate channel 1% very closely approachessaid runway, it is actuated to move from beneath the guide member 7 to aposition in which its nose projects into the runway distancesufiiciently great to enable it to engage in pushin relation to therearmost portion of the body of a can located in said runway in advanceof said position. Since the ovate channel 14 is disposed substantiallyparallel to the runway from said point to the delivery end of thelatter, each dog is adapted to push a thereby engaged can along saidrunway to and through said delivery end. A number of dogs are at alltimes in closely grouped relation at and adjacent to the point at whichthey enter t 1e runway, as aforesaid, due to the fact that they thenoccupy positions adjacent to the closely related inner ends of theirradial guide channels 5. Thus, cans occupying closely grouped. relationadj acent to said point in the runway may individually be operativelyengaged by said dogs and thereafter advanced along said runway.

Due to the fact that the distance between the runway and the axis of thefeed disk gradually, or progressively, increases from the aforementionedpoint of entrance of the dogs to the delivery end of the runway, theadvancing dogs are actuated gradually to move outwardly along theirradial guide channels, increasing the distance between adjacent dogs,until, at the delivery end of the runway, in which )osition it ispositioned at or adjacent to tie outer end of its said guide channel,each dog is spaced from the next succeeding dog the distance required toafford the interval of time necessary for the can heading machine toperform its function with respect to successive cans delivered thereto.

The rotation of the feed disk 4 is effected through a drive pinion 18operatively engaged with the gear wheel 3.

Provided at the outer side of the runway at and adjacent to the point atwhich the cans are initia .ly engaged by the dogs is means wherebyinjury to, or crushing of, a can body is prevented in the event that thenose of a dog, gradually emerging from beneath the guide membe 7, shouldengage the can body at a point substantially at a right angle to thedirection of travel of the cans rather than behind the can body. Saidmeans, as herein shown, comprises a plate 1 having a depending flange 20which is normally disposed in alined relation to the flange 10 of theguide member 6. Said plate is slidably mounted on a countersunk seat 21provided in said member 6, and a keeper plate mounted on the top surfaceof said mem ber overlies said plate, as shown. Vertically disposed pins23 mounted in the seat 21 are received in transverse slots 24rprovidedin said plate, whereby the distance of shifting movement of the latteris limited. Compression springs 25 having their inner ends disposed insockets 26 provided therefor in the guide member beneath said seat 21have their outer ends resting against the flange 20 and serve normallyto hold the plate in its outwardly thrust position.

Manifestly, the plate will readily yield against pressure appliedthereto, allowing a can, under direct pressure of an emerging dogapplied thereto at the side opposite the plate, to shiftsuch a slig tdistance as may be necessary to permit the dog either to pass by suchcan or to assume a position slightly rearward with respect to thelatter.

W hat is claimed is 1. Can feeding apparatus of the character describedcomprising a horizontally rotating disk having in its top face aplurality of radial guide channels, means overlying said disk forming arunway for cans deposited on said disk, said runway being disposed inpar tially encircling relation to the axis of said disk and havingentrance and delivery end portions which open outwardly over theperipheral edge of said disk, said delivery end portion being positionedrelative to said axis at a distance which progressively in creases toits outward end, said runway-forming means having an ovateaxis-encircling guideway of which a portion closely parallels throughoutsaid delivery end portion of said runway, and a plurality of shiftabledogs having upper and under guide members en gaged, respectively, withsaid guide channels and said guideway, said dogs being engage able withcans introduced in the entrance end portion of said runway and adaptedto advance such cans to the delivery end of said runway.

2. Can feeding apparatus of the character described comprising ahorizontally rotating disk having in its top face a plurality of radialguide channels, means overlying said disk forming a runway for cansdeposited on said disk, said runway being disposed in partiallyencircling relation to the axis of said disk and having entrance anddelivery end portions which open outwardly over the peripheral edge ofsaid disk, the distance of said delivery end portion from said axisbeing progressively increased toward its delivery outlet, saidrunway-forming means having therein an axis encircling guide channel ofwhich a portion of its length occupies closely adjacent substantiallyparallel relation to said delivery end portion of the runway throughoutthe length of the last-mentioned portion, and a plurality of bodilyshiftablecan-advancing elements carried by said disk, said elementsbeing engaged both with said radial and said axis-encircling guidechannels whereby they are caused to enter said runway at a pointadjacent the axis of the disc and to travel in said runway to thedelivery outlet of the latter for effecting relative spacing ofsuccessive cans at said outlet.

8. Can feeding apparatus of the character described comprising ahorizontally rotating disk having in its top face a plurality of radialguide channels, means overlying said disk forming a runway for cansdeposited on said disk, said runway being disposed in partiallyencircling relation to the axis of said disk and having entrance anddelivery end portions which open outwardly over the peripheral edge ofsaid disk, the distance of said delivery end portion from said axisbeing progressively increased toward its delivery outlet, saidrunway-forming means having therein an axis encircling guide channel ofwhich a portion of its length occupies closely adjacent substantiallyparallel relation to said delivery end portion of the runway throughoutthe length of the last-mentioned portion, and a plurality of shiftablecanpushing dogs carried by said disk, said dogs having bottom rollersdisposed for travel in the radial guide channels of said disk and havingtop rollers arranged for travel in the axis-encircling channel of therunway-forming means, whereby rotation of said disk induces travel ofsaid dogs in which the latter project into said runway for advancingcans received therein. 7

4. A can feeding apparatus comprising a horizontally rotating disc, astationary member overlying said disc and having a channel forming aguide-way for cans deposited on said disc, said guide-way being disposedin a partially encircling relation to the axis of the disc and havingentrance and delivery end portions which open outwardly over theperipheral edge of said disc, said guide-way extending inwardly from theentrance end thereof to a point adjacent and one side of the center ofthe disc and curving gradually and progressively outwardly to thedelivery end thereof, said disc having radially disposed channels, saidstationary member having a channel paralleling the edge thereofthroughout a portion of its extent and dogs disposed between said discand said stationary member and provided with rollers engagingrespectively the radial channels and the channel paralleling theguide-way, whereby said dogs are caused to be projected beyond the edgeof the stationary member into the guide way for engaging the cans andmoving the same and for delivering said cans in spaced and timedrelation to each other.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

ROBERT B. METZNER.

